Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I want to take a break from all of the St. Patrick's Day food and treats to talk to you about Meatless Monday! As most of you know I turned 30 on Saturday. I was very nervous about approaching the new decade but so far I feel the same as I did at 29. My goal for the past few weeks was to be the healthiest 30 year old possible so I've been going to the gym like crazy, taking a vitamin, and eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The new habit that I've picked up recently is Meatless Mondays. I will admit its difficult to do in the beginning, my first few weeks I would wake up on Tuesday starving. But I've gone 5 in a row now which to me is pretty impressive. It does take more planning that usual since you can't just grab a sandwich or a piece of grilled chicken but it's worth it. I'm not saying I want to be a vegetarian like my littlest sister Samantha but there are plenty of delicious options for once a week and this southwestern stuffed spaghetti squash is definitely one of them.

Adapted from: http://www.bevcooks.com/

Ingredients:

2-3lb Spaghetti Squash

14oz Can of Black Beans - Drained & Rinsed

1 1/2 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels

1 1/2 Red Bell Pepper - Diced

2 Jalapenos - Seeded & Diced

1 Red Onion - Diced

3 Garlic Cloves - Minced

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Salt & Pepper

Start by preparing your spaghetti squash and preheating the oven to 400 F. If you've never dealt with a spaghetti squash before and would like more in depth step by step instructions check out: Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Butter.Split you squash in half and scoop out all of the seeds. Brush the inside with 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil and place them on a baking sheet cut side down. Roast them for 50 minutes.

Next you can prep the rest of your veggies: dice the red onion and peppers, mince the garlic, and rise out the beans. When the squash is finished roasting take it out of the oven and let it cool down. You can now begin to put together the rest of the recipe. Over medium heat pour the remaining olive oil into a large pan. Add the onion and peppers. Saute 2 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, beans, corn, lime juice and spices (Cumin, Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, S & P). Give it a few good stirs and saute another 5 minutes.

Using a fork shread both halves of the roasted spaghetti squash into strands. If you are planning on stuffing it back into the shell like I did make sure you leave a little flesh inside so it can handle the weight of the filling.

Mix the squah into the pan with the rest of the vegetables until it is well combined. Add a little more salt & pepper and saute another 3 minutes. If you plan on stuffing the shells turn the oven to broil. You will only be able to do this for the first two servings, so we did it initially and then had the filling by itself for lunch the next day without the shells. Fill the squash shells with the vegetables and sprinkle the tops of them with cheese. Place them back on the pan and put them under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly browned.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

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